GGJ Statement for International Women's Day 2018

Today marks the 109th year anniversary of International Women’s Day (IWD)! Around the world people are celebrating how far we have come, but also reflecting on all that is left to do in the fight for gender justice. As the current dialogue about women’s rights continues to grow, as shown by the #TimesUp and #MeToo movements, we want to be sure to push the conversation further. Today, and always, we honor the long and global history of feminist resistance and we emphasize the importance of reclaiming feminism for the grassroots.

International Women’s Day began with the insistence that defeating patriarchy meant defending women’s labor rights and denouncing war. It began with the Socialist Party of America in 1909 and escalated with mobilizations after the tragic textile factory fire in NYC in 1911, and women-led protests against WWI across Europe. The world has since seen many waves of bold feminist resistance in women of color, LGBTQ people and allies have called for everything from voting rights, to reproductive rights, to fair employment and education access, to sexual inclusivity, racial justice and more. IWD has grown to mobilize millions around the globe. In 1998, the World March of Women (WMW), a global feminist movement that GGJ is a member of, launched its powerful campaign in celebration of IWD. Honoring the history of International Women’s Day means recognizing that patriarchy is fundamentally linked to other forms of oppression. That everything from climate justice, to racial justice, to housing justice, to immigrant rights is a gender justice issue. For more information on the history of International Women’s Day click here.

Emboldened by the struggles waged before us, today we fight to reclaim feminism for the grassroots. Grassroots feminism is distinct and necessary because it is led by women of color, LGBTQ, poor, and working class people; all of whom understand that our oppression is rooted in patriarchy and its connections to capitalism, colonization, white supremacy, transphobia and homophobia. Grassroots feminism operates from the understanding that the liberation of women is bound to the liberation of all oppressed peoples.